The Concord NH Police Department has made false and misleading statements in the above cited grant application for $258,024 in federal funds from the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) to receive a Lenco Bearcat armored vehicle, hereinafter the “Tank.”

The DHS grant application states: “The State of New Hampshire’s experience with terrorism slants primarily towards the domestic type. We are fortunate that our State has not been victimized from a mass casualty event from an international terrorism strike however on the domestic front, the threat is real and here. Groups such as the Sovereign Citizens, Free Staters and Occupy New Hampshire are active and present daily challenges. Outside of officially organized groups, several homegrown clusters that are anti-government and pose problems for law enforcement agencies.”

As president of the Free State Project (“FSP”), a NH-based non-profit organization with the sole mission of attracting 20,000 pro-freedom people to the Granite State, I am alarmed and appalled at the cleverly worded insinuation that the FSP is a domestic terrorist threat, or that “Free Staters” are “active and present daily challenges” to the Concord Police Department.

Individuals who sign up for the FSP generally subscribe to the non-aggression principle, an ethical stance which asserts that "aggression" is inherently illegitimate. "Aggression" is defined as the initiation of physical force against persons or property, the threat of such, or fraud upon persons or their property. Our website specifically states: "Anyone who promotes violence, racial hatred, or bigotry is not welcome."

Sadly, the DHS grant application only came to light through an ACLU public records request, and not as a result of transparent governance. Launched earlier this year, the ACLU program, “The Militarization of Policing in America,” with the slogan “Towns Don’t Need Tanks,” aims to determine the extent to which local police departments are now using federally subsidized military technology and war-like tactics in their communities.

From the ACLU’s March 6, 2013 press release: "’Equipping state and local law enforcement with military weapons and vehicles, military tactical training, and actual military assistance to conduct traditional law enforcement erodes civil liberties and encourages increasingly aggressive policing...’ said Kara Dansky, senior counsel for the ACLU's Center for Justice.”

I concur. In the same way the tenor of policing changed when “peace officers” became “law enforcement officers,” no good can come from tanks in small, peaceful communities. In fact, the secrecy of the DHS grant application and the false and misleading allegations therein are prima facie examples of the erosion of civil liberties and aggressive policing referred to by the ACLU.

The New Hampshire Constitution states: “All men are born equally free and independent; therefore, all government of right originates from the people, is founded in consent, and instituted for the general good.” To discriminate against “Free Staters” for their pro-liberty, pro-peace, small government ideological beliefs, and to defame an organization in the manner set forth in the DHS grant is unconscionable, and unconstitutional.

On behalf of FSP participants, I hereby respectfully demand:

A retraction and amendment of the grant application to remove all references to “Free Staters.” You are reminded that a condition of receipt of the grant’s funding is: “Funding may be suspended or terminated for filing a false certification in this application or other reports or document as part of this program.”

An itemized list by calendar day of the “daily challenges” presented by “Free Staters” to the CPD. Please list individuals, not a class of people.

A written letter of apology from both the City and CPD, which includes the following statements: “The Free State Project is not a domestic terrorist organization,” and “Free Staters do not pose ‘daily challenges’ to the Concord Police Department.”

A copy of this letter will be posted on the Free State Project’s website, and distributed to our media contacts. Your immediate attention to this important matter is appreciated.

I certainly hope this gets media attention on a large scale. That it would be thought peace seeking, freedom loving, Americans would be called 'terrorists' in a play to get a 'tank' is confounding, disturbing, and worrisome.

Johnna (not verified)

Aug 2 2013

Needs to be sent to the agency receiving the application, the Federal agency who disperses the grant.

Johnna (not verified)

Aug 2 2013

Excellent letter.. Good job, Carla.

Mark Schedeler (not verified)

Aug 2 2013

I hope you get the public apology that you deserve. Earlier today I posted my response to this issue on FreedomWorks. You can view it here: http://connect.freedomworks.org/node/166604/discussions/1247740

Brian Hogan (not verified)

Aug 2 2013

I just shared this with WMUR on U-Local. Wonder if they will let it publish? Police are getting too much like a domestic army.

William Flanagan (not verified)

Aug 2 2013

That looks interesting... I wonder if they do not know about the National Guard? Or the FBI...or other branches of the government that have heavily armored vehicles for such a...'necessity'?!?

Randa Jazairi

Aug 2 2013

President Barack Obama is shutting down embassies on 4 August. It may be the pre-curser to martial law in USA, which is why New Hampshire apparently wants its filthy tank. Briefly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ysn-W1ukTTs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXv393Xxjmc&feature=em-uploademail

The only difference between Obama and Bush is that Bush knows he is an asshole.

George Donnelly (not verified)

Aug 2 2013

Kudos. Let me know if the FSP wants to mount a big campaign in support of this request. I am available to assist.

David McGraw (not verified)

Aug 2 2013

You rock Carla! Thanks for being true.

Mike Lorrey

Aug 2 2013

As a NH resident who has been victimized by the de-facto fascist party in NH, the Dept of Public Safety, I can say for a fact that the only terrorist group in NH is the police apparatus and their increasing militarization without cause.

donald rutledge sgt (not verified)

Aug 2 2013

as a retired military man, I support Free State Project, these yahoos in office have forgotten their oath, GO! FREE STATE!

Ron Clermont (not verified)

Aug 2 2013

Well written Carla.
I'm interested in what the response will be....if any.

drag0nk1ng

Aug 2 2013

Just sent it directly to WMUR.... Not sure they have the courage to do anything with it!

rebeccalibertymoore (not verified)

Aug 2 2013

Bravo!!!

NH (not verified)

Aug 2 2013

If no satisfaction, I'd sue the city of Concord for all they're worth.

Johnbrownraider (not verified)

Aug 2 2013

And I rashly thought that we were having a budget crisis.

CHadk (not verified)

Aug 2 2013

ready to move to nh

Anonymous (not verified)

Aug 3 2013

Thanks for not requiring registration to comment here, that is really unusual these days!

30Mauser (not verified)

Aug 3 2013

You should send a copy to the responsible office at the DHS, too!

J Buzz Webb (Th... (not verified)

Aug 3 2013

I will kindly remind those who took an oath of office of Article 8 of the New Hampshire State Constitution:
[Art.] 8. [Accountability of Magistrates and Officers; Public’s Right to Know.] All power residing originally in, and being derived from, the people, all the magistrates and officers of government are their substitutes and agents, and at all times accountable to them. Government, therefore, should be open, accessible, accountable and responsive. To that end, the public’s right of access to governmental proceedings and records shall not be unreasonably restricted.

Citizen (not verified)

Aug 3 2013

The police are the terrorists. They have no respect for civil rights or the constitution. We need to protect ourselves from them. It gets damn hard when they have tanks and machine guns and want to limit us to slingshots and BB guns.

Anonymous (not verified)

Aug 3 2013

Lawsuit in order maybe they can pay with a tank.

Rand (not verified)

Aug 3 2013

These officials need to be removed from office. They are not fit to govern a freedom loving people.

NH State Police... (not verified)

Aug 4 2013

Ahh, shucks ... I was so looking forward to getting a tank. :(

Russ Nelson (not verified)

Aug 4 2013

Yes, false statements need to be pointed out, or if not false, documented with evidence.

Daryl when enou... (not verified)

Aug 4 2013

like they need a tank for anything...ever, seems like mandatory retirement would be in order for several there.

Jason Campbell (not verified)

Aug 5 2013

This falls under the law regarding the protection of individuals or groups from defamation by Publication. The city would have to prove that FSP are a terrorist group by showing activities or statements made by FSP, that fall within the definition of "Terrorist"... whatever that definition officially is. And, lets say that FSP does meet that technical definition of terrorist, you could still press them for a False Light laws violation on something that maybe technically true, but was used in a way to mislead the federal grant approver.

Defamation by Publication
Another essential element of the tort of defamation is proof that the defamatory statement was intentionally (or negligently) published to at least one other person by the defendant. By "published," we simply mean "communicated." The utterance need not be printed and circulated in mass media form. There are some exceptions: If the defendant sends a note to the plaintiff which includes defamatory statements about the plaintiff, the matter has not been published unless it could be reasonably foreseen that the plaintiff would show it to a third person (for example, was blind, illiterate, or a young child, and needed someone else to read the note to him). In some states, courts have ruled that where a defendant is notified that someone has written a defamation on his premises, but the defendant refuses to remove it or fails to do so within a reasonable period of time, he is held to be a publisher of the defamation. The classic example is the tavern keeper, who is notified that there is a scandalous and defamatory statement about the plaintiff in the restroom, but refuses to remove the graffiti.
Anyone who has any part in the publication of a defamatory statement is charged with, and can be liable for it. For example, where the defamation appears in a newspaper, the reporter who writes the story, the editor who reviews it and decides to include it, the printer, and the owner of the newspaper all could be liable. All that need be established is that the statement was published within the authorized scope of the newspaper's activities.

Michigan Escapee (not verified)

Aug 5 2013

It's not you they're really after, that's just a ploy. They're after all those crazed soccer moms forcing people to buy girl scout cookies at insanely inflated prices. Sure maybe it's so they can send their kids to camp, and get them out of the house for the summer. Or maybe it's just the first step in a drug conspiracy. First they got the kids slinging Thin Mints, a few years down the road, who knows what else? Tupperware, Amway products, cosmetics. From there its only one tiny step away from slinging smack, crack, and handing out Vote for Nader buttons. ;)

GreenStateEric (not verified)

Aug 5 2013

FSP should consult a lawyer about filing a qui tam action against the City of Concord in the U.S. Court of Claims. If Concord intentionally submitted false or misleading information to secure DHS funding, that's potentially a violation of the False Claims Act (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_Claims_Act). Find a good lawyer with expertise in False Claims Act cases. Sometimes, unfortunately, the only way to make corrupt cops and politicians pay attention is with the threat of legal penalties for their reprehensible acts.

E.C.Ducy (not verified)

Aug 6 2013

If the truth were know, the Government are the "terrorists". They are following the Communist Obama Plan to have Communism take over America, enslave WE THE PEOPLE & take "TOTAL CONTROL" over EVERYONE'S life. Wake Up America! Time to have a "Call to Arms"! Time to form or join Militias & take back our great Republic from this Communist, Muslim, Criminal Regime called the Obama Administration!!!

RedTulie1

Aug 6 2013

They need to be sued in their PERSONAL capacities; otherwise, the public pays for THEIR crimes.

Anonymous (not verified)

Aug 7 2013

This is precisely the sort of response that the police force in question would want to see. You have made yourself USEFUL to them by calling people to arms and raising a threat of violence. The various levels of our government, as currently structured, with current laws and constitutions, still guarantee us the power to legally and peaceably make the changes we claim are necessary.

We ARE this government; according to the letter and spirit of our laws. Acting outside of it -- especially through aggression -- revokes your right to change it. Until we form a legal, peaceful, and undeniably significant collective voice, unless this "system" flatly rejects that voice, until this system's constitution is -- "beyond reasonable doubt" -- no longer an effective guide for how citizens can act to successfully produce the needed changes -- ONLY AT THAT POINT can we start suggesting that something like the Declaration of Independance might be a more effective -- and appropriate -- instruction manual.

Peace.

Kim Goodwin (not verified)

Aug 7 2013

I live in Concord, NH, and I am so upset about this. The cops around here seem very friendly.. If they have someone in charge who is calling citizens who believe in freedom terrorists than we have big problems ahead. NH is the safest place to live in the entire United States, and this makes me so angry. The citizens of NH have a right to know this has been said, and I hope people will spread this around. Good people live here, and this man is showing he has sided with the people who want to take away our freedoms, and take away our 1st amendement rights. We pay for them, and I know I don't want to pay for something we don't need or want, and with his reasons is enough to say no way. step down oath breaker

Marcia DeSantis (not verified)

Aug 7 2013

This is really just shocking to hear. NH is a wonderful place, and being called a terrorist for wanting freedom is beyond scary to te future of our state.

Melissa Lucy (not verified)

Aug 7 2013

POLICE STATE, CORRUPTION, OATH BREAKER, PAID WHAT TO DO THIS, FIRE, RESIGN, AND GOOD PEOPLE ARE NOT TERRORISTS JUST BECAUSE OUR MUSLIM PRESIDENT SAYS SO. THE PEOPLE WE ARM ARE TERRORISTS MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD. NOT INNOCENT PEOPLE WANTED PEOPLE TO KEEP THEIR OATH.

Paul of Alexandria (not verified)

Aug 9 2013

Ok, but please don't use the word "tank". A tank is an armored vehicle with a large gun that moves on treads. This is just an armored truck.

Paul of Alexandria (not verified)

Aug 9 2013

The real problem with the acquisition of equipment like this is that it leads, in a self-reinforcing spiral, to the police point of view that they have to respond to every situation with maximal force. This leads to events like the recent, fatal, "beanbag" shooting of a 96 year old man in a nursing home and the killing of "Giggles" the deer.

Sooooo..The local NH town govt lied to the Washington govt officials who lie to all the people of the USSA(united soviet states of america run by corporate faschists with the blessing and consent of the queen who actually owns this british colony called USA,, whom gets her authority from the pope who is the frontman for the rcc roman catholic cult)
Is everyone up to speed and understanding how this fucking sham govt 3 sided pyramid of control works now and has through the past centuries??? We all fall into 1 of 2 categories. haves and have not's-.royalty or serf/royal slave....welcome to reality Aug. 9, 2013--There's absolutely nothing new under the sun.. only things forgotten and reintroduced by those who know the truth/knowledge and use it to control the ignorant and uneducated serfs. They still semi control a few of us educated slaves too by way of elimination of our options.

Dale Amon (not verified)

Aug 9 2013

Previous post sounds like a Larouchian to me. Certainly not one of us Libertarians.

CrestedDuck#64 (not verified)

Oct 18 2013

I belong to "NO' organizations, and am my own human being entity, with a working brain. And my parents "NEVER EVER" had me baptised, of offered my "soul/energy" to any corrupt religious organization, or political CULTS ! I'm a free human, with the psychic gifts still in tact and not programmed out of me by your "authority figures"...so go fuck yourself asshole !

Are you ready for Liberty in Our Lifetime? Or, not ready yet, but want to show your support for the FSP?

You can make a difference. Please help spread the message of Liberty in Our Lifetime.